***This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for entering!***
Hi everyone – hope you had a nice weekend!
Ben and I have been here, there, and everywhere over the past couple of days. Sit down and stay awhile, I’ll tell ya’ about it! 
Double your pleasure…
I was whipping up a new flavor combo of mini quinoa cups this weekend (recipe coming soon!) when I cracked open an egg and two yolks popped out. Twins, Basil – twins! 
I was horrified, but am hearing that this is actually good luck?! I’ll take it!
Speaking of…
Ben and I were browsing at a book store today when I turned a corner and audibly squealed. SWEET VALLEY HIGH TEN YEARS LATER?!?! I can pretty much die happy! This may will absolutely “accidentally” end up as an Amazon one-click Kindle purchase in the very near future.
Time is on my side…
Although I don’t love working out on the weekends, I have to admit it’s awfully nice knowing I can take as much time as I want to at the gym on Saturdays and Sundays, which I’m not able to do during the hectic work week. When I have the time, I like to run through longer treadmill routines like this 50 Minute, 5.45 Mile routine I huffed & puffed through on Saturday. Sweaty and engaging – the 50 minutes actually flew by.
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Grilling Gods…
The grilling Gods, aka Mr. BBQ, heard my cry and sent Ben and me a new grill cover to replace the crappy, no-name cover that had blown itself to bits over the winter. We easily slipped the cover on and into place this afternoon – fits like a glove. Hallelujah! (and go Hawkeyes!) Thanks Mr. BBQ!
Sugar and spice…
Ok, not so much something we did this weekend, but I can’t believe I haven’t told you guys that Ben and I are going to be an auntie & uncle for the second time later this month, when my brother & sister-in-law welcome a new baby girl! We’ve had so much fun with Finn over the past two and a half years and can’t wait to snuggle the newest addition to our family. 
Nothin’ like noodles…
Nobody ever said eating low-carb was an exact science, so when Ben and I got a carby craving this evening we headed over to Noodles & Company for dinner!
Ben had heard that they got a new “grown up” Mac & Cheese line and, well, I never met a noodle I didn’t like, so we stopped by and got a couple dishes to go.
His & hers!
I heart Noodles’ Udon Noodles dish, but tonight I was really feeling their lighter Pasta Fresca.
Penne pasta is sauteed with balsamic, white wine and TONS of roasted garlic, then topped with feta cheese & shrimps. It has a teeny-tiny kick of heat that I just adore.
Ben went ahead and did the damn thing and ordered their new Bacon Mac & Cheeseburger dish.
Ummm, omg. Buttery noodles with cheese sauce, bacon & meatballs, topped with fresh tomatoes and crunchy breadcrumbs. I helped polish this off in a pretty significant way. It was too good!
In case you’re experiencing a carb craving too, Noodles & Company is giving away a free dish of your choice to 2 IGE readers!
Enter to win one free Noodles & Company dish of your choice by tomorrow, Monday, March 12 at 5pm central by telling me what your favorite pasta dish is in the comments section below.
Have a great week everyone!
Fettuccine alfredo is my favorite!
I love the mushroom stroganoff!
The one and only time I have been there (so far!…), I got the Bacon Mac & Cheeseburger and loved it as well!
The pad thai rocks…and I splurged and got the truffle mac and cheese! YUM!
I haven’t been to Noodles & Co for such a long time that they probably don’t even have what I used to love…and it’s been so long that I don’t even remember what I used to love. That Pasta Fresca looks good though!
LOVE their Penne Rosa! But I think that Bacon Mac and Cheese looks pretty dang good too
Overall pasta with marinara sauce is my favorite but at Noodles I love the mushroom stroganoff and pesto pasta!
I really love the Indonesian Peanut Saute from Noodles and Company. I usually like to add in some tofu and it just soaks up all the yummy juices and it is so good!
Pad Thai!! Yum!
I love quite a few of them, but I have to say Pesto Cavatappi topped with grilled chicken is my favorite. Or maybe Pad Thai with Steak. Or maybe…oh, dear.
YUM! I love Noodles & Co! I love the Indonesian Peanut Saute.
I love all types of pasta but you can’t beat just plain old baked macaroni and cheese!
Pad Thai!
family74014 at gmail dot com
Love the Beef Stroganoff! The meat is so tender!
I like good old spaghetti and meatballs or pasta with meatless marinara sauce!
mac and cheese. I love pasta, all shapes, sizes and flavors, but deep down, this Wisconsin girl loves her mac and cheese.
i always get the Japanese pan noodles with shrimp!!
My favorite is Mac and cheese. I love to try it with different cheeses and add ins. You can do so much with it and change it up so many different ways.
The truffle mac and cheese is to die for at Noodles and Co!
I’ve had their bacon mac n cheese and have to agree – it totally rocks! My favorite though is their pad thai. Yummy!
Oh definitely the pasta cavatappi. I need to find a recipe for this because I go there nearly every week and always get the same thing because it is so good.
Love the Hawkeye grill cover!!! Go Iowa!!! =)
I totally want to try that Mac and Cheese now, but I do love their Penne Rosa.
Penne Rosa
The asian half of me loves pad thai, but the german half of me loves mac & cheese. It’s a tie!
I’ve only been there once, but am dying to try it again!
Pasta Fresca!
Yum!
PASTA FRESCA!
Pad Thai for me.
I LOVE the Pad Thai!
Pasta Fresca with feta cheese, chicken, and sans the onions!
Pad Thai!! Yummmy….
We eat pasta just about everyday at our house! If you ask my 2 1/2 year old son what he wants for supper his response is always, “NOODLES!” But if I had to choose one favorite, it would be spaghetti, with my mother in-laws’s tomato sauce recipe!
I adore their mushroom stroganof
I would have the mushroom stroganoff because i can never eat mushrooms at home
I love Noodles! Favorite pasta dish is gnocchi w/ vodka sauce
I love the Pesto Cavatalli and my husband loves the Mushroom Stroganoff.
I love any pasta – I haven’t tried one I didn’t like but I love their pasta fresca!
I’m a college student so Noodles and Co. is a must ever couple of weeks when I need fuel for a long night at the library. My favorite is the Penne Rosa with tofu!
Japanese Pan Noodles with Steak
Pad Thai – yum!
At noodles, I love the Japanese pan fried noodles!
Definitely with Ben on this one…LOVE the Bacon Mac & Cheeseburger!
My favorite has to be Mac & Cheese, hands down.
Oh, and I read the SVH 10 years later book…not gonna lie, it was a little bit disappointing.
Noodles & Co sounds so good right now. My favorite is the Pasta Fresca. Have you found a good copycat recipe for that dish?
Plain ol’ mac & cheese
Pad Thai…yum!!
The Japanese Pan Noodles.
Fettuccini Alfredo
I love me some good ol’ spaghetti from the Brown Bottle in Cedar Falls, IA. It’s to die for.